New Zealand

Tags

Review: Samsung Galaxy S III

There is no question – the new Samsung Galaxy S III is a pretty phone. Notably larger at 12.2 cm than the iPhone 4S – whose market it is overtly challenging – this latest offering is light in both presentation and weight, but not in ability or content.

Running Android 4.0 (better known as Ice Cream Sandwich) and boasting a 1.4 GHz quad core application processor, the S III boasts a variety of features that could well make it a must have on the corporate wish list.

For starters, the quad core processor means when you hit the on switch, your phone switches on without delay. If there is any lag or delay on this phone it is so brief as to be unnoticeable.

The screen is notably larger than those of most other phones, and the 4.8 HD Super AMOLED gives an extraordinary crisp and clear picture.

On top of these core attributes, there are also a host of add-ons on offer. From the ability to track eye movement to prevent the screen from dimming or hibernating while it’s being used, to the 8 megapixcel camera with autofocus that takes a burst of around eight photographs before selecting the best, there are sufficient fun features to engage even the least technical user. At the same time the ability to exchange data simply by bumping two S III handsets’ backs together – yet setting the security high enough so that only data fitting a strict criteria can be exchanged – will have IT teams breathing a sigh of relief.

When sending a text message to someone, if you decide you need to call them instead you can simply lift the phone to your ear, and the S III will interpret the movement as a request to dial the person. The same sensitivity means if you have switched your phone to silent while in a meeting, all you have to do is pick up the handset and it will vibrate to alert you to any messages, emails, or notifications you may have received.

Social tagging – the ability to link faces in photo albums with the user’s social media profiles – is also a huge bonus in this age of social networking. It’s all these tools which just make things easier that really make the S III something special.

All up, the S III seems to tick all the boxes – it looks great, performs beautifully, it’s intuitive, and it’s secure (or as secure as any phone can be). It performs well enough and securely enough to fit a corporate set up, and yet is funky enough to be a personal phone.

The team at Apple may well want to take note – it looks like they finally have some real competition.